The Puja

April 12th, 2009 by Valerio

Today is Easter Sunday, so Happy Easter to you all from Everest Base Camp.

Today is particularly auspicious as we held the traditional Sherpa Puja Ceremony this morning. This is the real starting point for all Everest expeditions, as before any Sherpa or team member can set foot on the mountain proper, a Lama holds the ceremony, with the entire team in attendance, in order to pay homage to the mountain deity.

The Lama sits in front of the stone square temple – built by the Sherpas. The two-hour ceremony starts as the Lama begins to chant. Offerings of chocolate, biscuits and various drinks are brought to the altar, and Sherpas hand out rice to be thrown into the air. The food offered is handed around alongside Chang – a potent beer brewed by the Sherpas. Hot sweet tea and cold drinks are also passed round. Each Sherpa and climber brings a piece of equipment to the altar to have it blessed for good luck – an ice axe, crampons, etc. Strings of prayer flags are strung to each corner of the camp, which look truly beautiful when set against the white background of the mountains as they flutter in the wind.

The ceremony ends with flour being applied to the face in three marks – two across the cheeks and then one on the chin (see pictures below).

After the ceremony there is beer and whisky for everyone, and traditional Sherpa dancing, before work resumed around camp after lunch.

Tomorrow the first of the Sherpa teams will head up into the Icefall to begin to establish Camps 1 and 2, so the expedition really begins today.